Chipotleone of the original and most influential fast-casual spots in the countryjust hit a major milestone. In 2024, they opened 304 new restaurants, marking the highest number of openings in a single year in their franchise history, according to a Tuesday earnings call.For a bit of context, they opened 271 locations in 2023, and in the two years before that, they were hovering just above 200 each year. And the growth isnt slowing downtheyre planning to open between 315 and 345 new restaurants in 2025.The fast-casual juggernaut also reported a total revenue of $11.3 billionan increase of 14.6% from last years $9.9 billion. The chains operating margin and diluted earnings per share also increased.Chipotle had another outstanding year, CEO Scott Boatwright said during the call. I want to make sure that as we continue to scale Chipotle, everything we do is in service of our guests or those who serve our guests.While Chipotle excelled in 2024, many fast-casual competitors struggled to stay afloat, with many beloved chains shutting down or filing for bankruptcy in the past year.The majority of Wahlburgers locations shut down in January after its partnership with midwestern grocery store Hy-Vee ended. Roti, a chain that pioneered mediterranean-style fast casual, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August. Red Lobster and Buca di Beppoboth former giants of their fieldalso filed for bankruptcy last year.But other competitors like Cava and Sweetgreen have experienced record highs similar to Chipotle. Overall, comparable restaurant sales still increased by 7.4%, a little more than half of Chipotles growth.And Chipotles expansion comes at a time of reinvention for the restaurant that transformed fast-casual from a concept to a cultural zeitgeist with its fully customizable Mexican-style entrees.After Chipotle dealt with an onslaught of food safety scares from 20152018, CEO Brian Niccols stepped indoubling the brands revenue over five years. He added loyalty programs, drive-throughs, delivery options, and even robot chefs to the chains repertoire of enticing customer-facing features.But Niccols abruptly left the position in September to run Starbucks, leaving former COO Boatwright as his successor.Since Boatwrights ascension, the company raised menu prices, drawing consumer outrage, after promising to increase portions. The company has also struggled with adjusting wages to inflation.Boatwight said on the earnings call that long-term goals for the company include reaching 7,000 total restaurants in North America (there are currently 3,700 worldwide) and becoming a global iconic brand.

Its almost become cliche for employers to express concern about Gen Zs lack of training in the social skills necessary for life in the office.Employers want new recruits with a certain level of professionalismthe ability to casually converse with office higher-ups, or negotiate with their own managersthat they just havent had the ability to practice, especially after coming of age during pandemic restrictions and widespread remote work, says Tigran Sloyan, CEO of worker assessment and learning platform CodeSignal.When youve just come out of college, youve never really worked anywhere, so its very hard, he says.To help fill that gap, CodeSignal on Wednesday launched an AI-powered addition to its platform that will let users practice skills involving business conversation on their own and confer with an AI assistant and coach called Cosmo. CodeSignal already let users practice technical skills like writing code in a simulated development environment, but the new addition will let them similarly practice skills like negotiations, giving feedback, and holding sales calls.Universities have also participated in beta testing, letting students applying for jobs practice talking with simulated recruiters. Employers can customize practice scenarios based on employee needs, like letting budding salespeople pitch their companies own specialized products, and AI conversational partners can become tougher to handle as workers level up their skills, Sloyan says.It will get more and more and more difficult as you progress through your skills, he says.CodeSignal is one of a number of companies that have rolled out AI systems to let employees develop skills that previously could only be practiced by roleplaying with other humans, find other educational opportunities, and demonstrate their aptitude for particular roles. Theyre not just for entry-level employees. People taking on new positions, like those entering management, can also benefit, as can anyone looking to brush up on particular skills theyre already using, AI developers say. After all, some studies have suggested the majority of managers received no formal training for their jobs after moving up from other roles.Weve all been managed by bad managers, says Sloyan. And its for a good reasonbecause they never get the training.AI technology, which can help assess worker experience and adapt lessons to individual needs, is also helping drive a shift to hiring and training employees based on very particular social and technical skills they need for their roles, whether thats making sure managers know how to have difficult conversations with underperforming employees or coders know how to efficiently work with databases.I think the beauty of it is its ability to create learning content at scale and speed, says Ravin Jesuthasan, global transformation leader at consulting firm Mercer.Skills-based hiring is often seen as a way to get access to a broader talent pool than traditional indicators of aptitude like a college degree, and skill-focused training can let employees keep up to date even as their positions evolve due to technological and societal changes like the rise of AI and hybrid work. AI can help measure what skills employees already have, then create or locate highly targeted course material to fill in any gaps.Instead of you sitting in a class with everyone else going through two months of training, youre maybe spending three days or something because youve got a lot of those technical skills, Jesuthasan says.In the past, while employers might have offered access to training materials like videos, written materials, and podcast-style audio, workers could feel overwhelmed by the possibilities and unsure how to fit learning in between work tasks, says Kian Katanforoosh, CEO and founder of skills assessment company Workera. In September, the company unveiled an AI mentor called Sage that can give employees quick and (ideally) fun skill assessments using a variety of interfaces. Those include a virtual coding workpad, a voice interface, and an on-screen whiteboard for presenting ways to connect ideas and concepts. The results can help route staff to particular projects or to personalized training options. Those can include some instruction from Sage itself, though Workera generally connects users to coursework from across a variety of learning platforms, matched to individual needs, Katanforoosh says.Some providers have really good metadata which allow us to have the transcripts of every course and understand videos at a transcript level, and be able to say this is a good video or not for the user, he says.And when AI itself provides interactive training, it has the advantage of being available on demand around the clock to tirelessly generate practice material for different skills and scenarios.A company called Alelo works with employers and training firms to create AI-powered educational material, where workers can practice skills interacting with digital avatars, then receive feedback generated by another specialized AI model. Healthcare training is a common use case, with nurses and others in the field practicing patient interactions, says Lewis Johnson, the companys president and CEO.Scenarios, which can include short sessions where health providers demonstrate their ability to express empathy for a patient in pain or longer interactions that simulate an entire patient interaction, are meant to be repeated. Typically, users are intended to practice a particular training at least five times, then repeat them as needed later on to keep skills fresh, Johnson says.[Screenshot: Alelo]Part of the goal here is to encourage learners to practice as much as they need in order to gain proficiency, he says. Each run may be somewhat different, so this really encourages people to keep practicing until theyre comfortable and able to fully meet the training objectives.Employers or training organizations get access to dashboards that let them see at a glance how employees are advancing through the training. In general, AI instructional tech can help save time for employers by automating training, assessment, and development of learning plans for staff.In October, learning platform Udemy announced a new AI assistant to guide learners to relevant material, and a Skills Mapping system that can help identify employee skills needing an upgrade within an organization. The AI then provides a custom learning path of instructional material to get workers trained.Skills Mapping has significantly reduced the median time needed to create a public learning path, slashing it by more than 80%, writes Eren Bali, Udemys cofounder and CTO, in an email. Notably, over one-third of paths created by organizations since the launch have been AI-powered paths, indicating Skills Mappings impact on efficiency and performance.Still, AI training likely wont eliminate traditional mentoring and instruction any time soon. Training company Mursion, known for its avatar-based training experiences powered by human actors, recently introduced a fully AI-powered alternative. It lets workers practice skills at any time, without Mursion needing to ensure its own staff are available, which is especially important for clients training employees in environments like restaurants or warehouses where downtime may be unpredictable, says CEO Mark Atkinson.Its just impossible to build a staffing model that knows that we need to be ready at that moment, he says.[Photo: Mursion]The companys simulations can help train service workers in techniques like conflict de-escalation and dealing with challenging customers, Atkinson says, and Mursion also helps employees in management, healthcare fields, and sales practice techniques relevant to their work. Avatar-based simulation in general can help employees practice types of uncomfortable scenarios that could feel too awkward or embarrassing for traditional in-person role play, he says, and generative AI has proven adept at consistently simulating particular behaviors for employees to practice responding to.Its also beginning to play a role in Mursions human-directed simulations, automatically and consistently scoring participant performance. That, in turn, lets Mursions human simulation leaders focus on playing their roles rather than evaluating responses. Theyll keep playing those roles for the foreseeable future, Atkinson says, since they can offer a level of narrative variety and adaptability that AI cant currently easily match.Im not saying it wont ever happen, but the way I see it is the AI is pushing us to be better at the human [side], while delivering an incredibly valuable, on-demand experience for those who want that, he says.But as the workplace continues to evolve, and new generations of workers continue to graduate and seek employment, then move into management or other new roles, AI seems likely to also be on hand to guide and, sometimes, even conduct their training. After all, while Gen Z is currently being called out for a lack of workplace savvy, it wasnt too long ago that employers said similar things about millennials starting their first full-time jobs.These are skills that we somehow expect that the younger generation would just come out of school knowing but they dont, because theyve never really had the chance to practice, Sloyan says.

Mass timber and ample glazing feature at an elementary school in northeast Vancouver, which was designed by Canadian firm HCMA Architecture + Design to serve as a showcase project and to depart from the "dark, insular schools of the past".Situated on a 1.4-hectare site, the public school serves about 340 students, ranging from kindergarteners to seventh graders.HCMA has completed an elementary school in northeast VancouverThe school's name, wkans t syaqm Elementary School, comes from the Musqueam Indian Band's term for "the sun rising over the moon". The First Nation group gifted the name to the school, drawing upon the name of the neighbourhood in which the school sits, Hastings Sunrise.Totalling 3,385 square metres, the two-storey school has a structural system made primarily of mass timber. The building is a pilot project for the Vancouver School Board, which is exploring using mass timber for future construction projects.The school has two storeys and is roughly I-shaped in planThe structural system includes prefabricated glue-laminated timber and cross-laminated-timber (CLT) posts, beams and panels. The elements were pre-cored for mechanical and electrical systems when they arrived on site, helping speed up construction."The school exceeds British Columbia's Wood First Act guidelines, which require wood to be the primary building material in provincially funded projects," said HCMA Architecture + Design, which has offices across Canada."With Canadian mass timber as its primary structural material, the K-7 school is a showcase for how locally sourced engineered wood can both reduce embodied carbon and act as a compelling design feature," the team said.The school's four wings are connected by a central atriumRoughly I-shaped in plan, the school has four wings connected by a central, double-height atrium.The building's form was broken into quadrants to create a "relatable and appropriate scale where children can feel comfortable". The massing also responds to the scale of the surrounding neighbourhood of mostly single-family homes."The building form reflects a desire to break down the massing into well-proportioned, easily understandable and smaller-scale learning communities," the team said.The atrium has a feature stair with built-in honeycomb alcove seatingThree of the wings hold the school's learning communities and kindergarten pod, along with multipurpose rooms, administrative spaces and a library. The fourth volume contains a double-height gymnasium."Each learning community is comprised of three to four classrooms that share a central breakout space, building a sense of community and connection between students in different classes and empowering teachers to collaboratively teach," the team said.Read: Bernardo Bader Architekten creates cuboidal primary school in rural AustriaThe classrooms have folding, glazed partitions, enabling the rooms to open up toward the breakout spaces.The atrium, envisioned as the school's "social heart", has a feature stair with built-in honeycomb alcove seating. Stretching across the upper level is a connecting bridge that overlooks the gathering area below.The atrium offers clear sight lines in all directions, including west toward a fern garden and east toward a playground. The playground sits lower on the site and can be accessed via a slide integrated into the hillside.Folding partitions in the classrooms allow the rooms to turn into breakout spacesThe building's design involved input from staff members, a parent advisory committee and local residents.The school, formerly named Sir Matthew Begbie Elementary School,replaces a 1922 facility that had a slew of issues high seismic risk, lack of universal accessibility and outdated building systems. The century-old structure will eventually be demolished to make way for a sports field.The school features Canadian mass timber as its primary structural material. Photo by Michael ElkanKaren Marler, a principal at HCMA, said the wkans t syaqm Elementary School marks "a departure from the dark, insular schools of the past"."Here, we have natural light and open spaces, textural and tactile surfaces, and places for learning, collaboration, play and quiet retreat," Marler said."Our goal was to design a place of learning that children deserve, where they feel comfortable, inspired to collaborate, and safe to explore, where they can play loudly in the gym, or find a quiet alcove to recharge."One of the school wings contains a double-height gymnasiumOther recent educational projects in North America include an indoor-outdoor play space at a preschool in Seattle's famed Pike Place Market and a Detroit elementary school that is filled with shapes and colours that spark "experimentation and exploration".The photography is by Andrew Latreille unless otherwise stated.Project credits:Architect: HCMA Architecture + DesignTeam: Karen Marler (principal in charge); Susan Ockwell (project architect); Ian McLean (senior architect); George McCutcheon (architect); Aidan Carruthers (intern architect); Juenessa Collins, Danica Herman and Sophia Dvorzak (architectural technologists); Emma Buchanan, Petra Hulova (project assistant); Rebecca Holt (senior director of sustainability); Jason Burtwistle (building performance advisor); Natalia Mulekova (sustainability coordinator)Structural engineering: Fast + EppMechanical engineering: AME GroupElectrical engineering: WSPLandscape: Prospect and RefugeCode: Thorson McAuleyCivil: Core GroupAcoustic: RWDIBuilding envelope: Spratt Emanuel EngineeringMass timber installer: Beam CraftWood supplier: Mercer Mass TimberThe post Mass timber forms structural system of Vancouver school by HCMA appeared first on Dezeen.

This Leo chair is by Teo Primo Frizzarin, an Industrial Design student at ECAL. It aims to consider the ergonomics of those working on a canvas rather than a desk. "For painters, working on a vertical surface rather than horizontal one creates physical problems, mainly related to not having adequate arm support. Leo is a chair developed for canvas painters." "Its seat, inspired by a horse's saddle allows a stable posture while guaranteeing great mobility in space." "Its adjustable armrest provides support that adapts easily to different positions and heights." The Leo was Frizzarin's diploma project, and won a "Trs Bien" mention.

January is over, and so is the free trial period for the new year. By now, some people have fallen off the wagon when it comes to their resolutions, some are consistently meeting their goals, and others fall somewhere in between. Its not an easy journey, especially as we go further into the year, but one tried and tested strategy has always been to write things down somewhere, whether theyre to-dos, meeting notes, or sparks of inspiration.Despite the prevalence of computers, smartphones, and the apps that run on them, there is still a very strong desire to write things by hand. Theres an undeniable allure to the tactile experience of writing with a pen or some similar implement, and there are plenty of studies on its benefits to the mind and soul. But as much as we may love pen and paper in their various forms, there will always be some nagging voice in our heads that points to the potential harm this activity could do to the planet in the long run.Although biodegradable and sustainable, paper isnt quickly replenished, especially if more trees are cut down than are replanted. Fortunately, there are now options that deliver that same handwriting experience but with less waste. Here are five of the best notebook alternatives to accompany the environment-conscious scribbler and doodler in their lifes adventures this 2025.Rocketbook EverlastHave you ever dreamed of a notebook that never runs out of paper? Short of actual magic or a Star Trek replicator, the closest well possibly get is a notebook that you can reuse over and over again ad infinitum. Thats the idea behind the Rocketbook Everlast series of notebooks, allowing you to easily erase writings on a page by simply wiping them off.Designer: RocketbookThe Everlast follows the often-ridiculed Rocketbook Wave that required you to microwave the whole notebook to erase everything inside, almost like a scene from some spy flick or crime procedural. Rocketbook now lets you erase individual pages or even just a portion of a page, just as you would do with pencil marks on paper. Be sure to sync your notes to the cloud before you do so, however, which is part of the appeal of this analog-digital hybrid notebook.The secret to the Rocketbooks magical ability is a special kind of paper-like surface that works in tandem with Pilots FriXion line of erasable pens, though you only need a damp cloth to wipe off the ink. The other half of Rocketbooks secret sauce, however, is a mobile app that not only takes a picture of a page but also automatically uploads it to your cloud storage of choice. It promises the best of both worlds if youre fine with writing on something thats too smooth to feel like real paper.What We LikeHaving practically an infinite number of pages to use.Available in different sizes with different printed templates.Rocketbook app adds digital features and cloud storage integrationWhat We DislikeSmooth surface doesnt feel like paper.Relies on specialized pens that may be discontinued.Optionally relies on an app and service that may be discontinued.Personal WhiteboardIf Rocketbook feels too much like a whiteboard, then why not just use a whiteboard directly? This simple yet effective solution lets you do exactly that, offering a notebook-sized whiteboard you can take with you anywhere. Plus, it looks just as stylish as those premium paper notebooks, so you dont have to feel awkward about carrying a whiteboard around under your arms.This personal whiteboard presents a straightforward writing space that removes any and all friction in writing down your thoughts. Simply flip open the cover, uncap your marker, and start writing. It doesnt get easier than that. And when youre done or need more space, simply wipe it off with that same cover and youre ready to go to the next page. And yes, do remember to take a picture first, in case you want to save those scribbles for later.Admittedly, you only ever get one page, but its a page that never ends, theoretically speaking. As a proper whiteboard, you can also use this notebook to explain and illustrate, or just set up reminders to yourself to glance at on your desk. Its an ultra-minimalist approach to writing down notes, one that embraces simplicity yet still sparks joy in every stroke.Click Here to Buy Now: $49.00What We LikeWorks with any dry-erase or whiteboard marker.Cover acts as an eraser and built-in stand.Can be easily propped up to read notes or share information.What We DislikeYou can only write on one page at a time.Cover might accidentally erase the whiteboard while closed.Paper SaverPaper Saver is less of a notebook and more of a mindset that encourages the reuse of paper to minimize waste. But yes, its also a proper notebook with beautiful minimalist covers to house your thoughts and ideas. Even better, it is pushing the use of paper that feels like paper but isnt the paper youre quite used to.Paper Saver is basically a cover that lets you insert used sheets of paper and use their backsides as clean new pages to write on. Rather than throwing them away, simply use the clean side of those sheets until theyre also filled and ready to be thrown out or composted if possible. Its a system that makes sure that no sheet of paper is truly wasted, reducing the need for new paper every time.Designer: Paper SaverIf you do like to use fresh new sheets on both sides, however, Paper Savers Stone Paper refills are the way to go. Instead of cutting down trees to make new paper, this revolutionary material is made from 80% recycled limestone or marble sourced from industry cutoffs. It saves trees, saves water, and is safer to throw away because of its acid-free and bleach-free composition.What We LikeEncourages a mentality of paper reuse.Promotes stone paper as a replacement for tree-sourced paper.Scratch-resistant premium vegan leather covers both outside and inside.What We DislikePaper might get loose from binding.Not much size varietyDingbatsIf you really prefer to go down the traditional bound notebook route, you might as well grab one thats designed with sustainability in mind from day one. Whether its the paper inside or the covers, Dingbats is offering a product that isnt just safe for the environment but also respects the health and welfare of animals as well.Those fancy leather notebook covers you admire on other products? They might be made using harmful chemicals in the process. Dingbats faux leather variety, however, is non-toxic and fully degrade after 10 years. The notebooks also dont use animal-based adhesives, probably making it the only 100% vegan notebook in town.Designer: DingbatsAs for the paper, they are indeed sourced from trees, but these trees are either replaced or allowed to regrow. Dingbats does its best to promote a culture of using renewable and recyclable materials, down to the pens that it sells.What We LikeTraditional bound notebook experience with a sustainability focus.FSC-certified and 100% vegan friendly.What We DislikeYoull probably end up buying more notebooks in the long run.Pens still use a bit of plasticreMarkable Paper ProOK, technically this isnt a notebook in the traditional sense, but the reMarkable Paper Pro is one that comes the closest to delivering that experience on an electronic device. Although its technically an E Ink tablet similar to the Amazon Kindle Scribe or Onyx BOOX devices, its simpler and more streamlined feature set is oriented more towards taking notes and replicating the experience of writing with pen and paper as much as possible.Although you can definitely load eBooks on it, reMarkables software is less open compared to that of Onyx BOOX but is also more accommodating than any Kindle. Its focus is on the note-taking experience, with a stylus that feels like a real pen and a writing surface that tries its best to mimic the texture of paper. Its still glass, of course, but it has that scratchiness that stylophiles swoon over.Designer: RemarkableWhat the reMarkable Paper Pro brings to the table is a writing experience that isnt limited by physical pages and physical media. You can exercise more freedom in what you can add to your notes, from images to hyperlinks, and have an infinite number of pages available. It does come with all the downsides of electronic devices, particularly the need to charge it once in a while, but it also carries the advantages of easy searchability, backups, and mixed media flexibility.What We LikeThe closest youll get to a digital paper experience.Focused on note-taking and handwriting experiences.Strong sustainability initiative.What We DislikeLike any electronic device, it needs to be recharged eventually.Overall carbon footprint is not negligible.Only one size is available.The post Top 5 Eco-Friendly Notebooks to Boost Your Productivity in 2025 first appeared on Yanko Design.

The dismantling of USAID by Elon Musk's DOGE and a State Department funding freeze have severely disrupted efforts to help people escape forced labor camps run by criminal scammers.

Elon Musks takeover of the federal government has inspired adoration from far-right communities online that used to be reserved for Donald Trump.

Among an array of right-wing personalities and media outlets, the president can do no wrong.

Mr. Penny, who was acquitted after choking a mentally ill subway passenger to death, will work for Andreessen Horowitz. Before the killing, he had been an architecture student.

If you get stressed out when surfing the web, Norwegian browser company Opera has something for you: a new browser for Windows and Mac designed to help you relax.Opera Air offers a minimalist design and scheduled breaks for breathing exercises, neck training and meditation, among other things. The new browser can also play a combination of soothing sounds and music, Techcrunch reports.The company explained its thinking about Opera Air in a YouTube video:Opera already offers a number of alternatives to its regular browser, including the AI-enhanced Opera One and Opera GX, which is aimed at gamers.